The things beyond our control
by Elundari
Summary: *FIXED* Written for Science Boyfriends Prompts on Tumblr in response to prompt #52 *In which Tony is an closeted omega (by wishes of the press/Stark Industries/Pepper/himself/whomever) but meeting Bruce, an alpha, sends him into a spontaneous heat.* Sorry for the weird formatting, it's fixed now!


Tony Stark was every inch the stereotypical Alpha male. When he entered a room people took notice, every eye trained on his presence. When he spoke, they listened. He ruled the business theatre in which he operated. That was the public impression at least. Those who got close enough to actually bear witness to his life or who managed to catch a scent of the man beneath the cologne saw a Beta male comfortable with his lot in life. The board members of Stark Industries were especially pleased with his public/private split. No one dared to challenge him professionally but as a Beta he was much less likely to make the rash, ego driven decisions of an Alpha and couldn't be manipulated by a well-placed Alpha rival or an Omega distraction. The board members could only thank their lucky stars that Howard Stark's only son and heir wasn't born a slave to their biology and mate like an Omega would have been. If they had any idea of the truth they would have locked him out years ago worried that he would pose a liability to the stability of the company.

The truth was simply that Tony was an Omega. It was very well hidden. So much so that Tony himself was almost able to forget. Sure he'd had his first few heats as a teenager. Medically it wasn't safe to suppress heats if Omegas were too young. Howard, keen to keep his son's 'condition' a secret had kept Tony away from school and away from anyone in the house. He explained away Tony's absences by claiming that Tony had been on a massive bender and that he was trying to sober him up. No one questioned his story. They all expected the spoiled little rich boy to go off the rails every now and then.

Howard was devastated that his only son had been born Omega and not Alpha like himself. Hell he would even have preferred a Beta son. Sure he knew that Omegas were rare and much desired but he had a different path in mind for his son than that of a mere concubine. He simply could not allow a known Omega to take over Stark Industries, the world's leading weapons manufacturer. The public would see him as weak, born to breed not lead. Investors would be concerned that he wouldn't be able to function at full capacity when needed or worse that he would let an unscrupulous Alpha mate control the company through him. So he had carefully crafted Tony's cover and he had managed to install enough shame into Tony so that when he was killed in a car accident during Tony's late teens Tony felt that he had to carry on the façade.

He'd worked hard to develop a suppressant that not only prevented an Omega going into heat but also managed to hide all the other signs as well, especially his scent. Sure it hadn't been smooth sailing and he had ended up going into heat a few times during development when his formula wasn't quite right but dear old dad had given him the perfect cover. The world had thought for a time that Tony was a raging alcoholic. Each heat explained away as participation in or recovery from a huge bender. Of course everyone thought that Tony had pulled his life together as he had gotten older. The truth was he had perfected his formula and had been heat free for almost two decades. It had been so long he could barely remember what it even felt like to be in heat. One day he would market the formula. It would make Stark Industries quite a bit money and no doubt help other omegas in a similar situation to himself, but right now he needed the peace of mind that no one could even possibly suspect the truth more than he needed more money and the part of him still haunted by Howard's disappointment couldn't risk so much as the prospect of anyone thinking it was even possible for him to be an Omega. For now the formulas very existence was known only to himself

There was also his own sense of self preservation. Omegas were very much seen as belongings and Tony had seen first-hand the fate of many famous Omegas. Alphas vied for them like they were trophies, the Omegas barely able to resist, especially if approaching a heat. Once paired up many became little more than shadows of their more dominant Alphas. Once, many, many years ago he had felt the desire to be part of such partnership. It was part of his Omega wiring. The pull to not just find an Alpha but to find your Alpha, it was intoxicating. Thankfully that had also been eradicated by his suppressants leaving Tony free to lead life however he chose, and life for Tony was generally good. Take tomorrow for example, he was finally going to get to work with Dr. Bruce Banner. Tony had admired his work on anti-electron collisions since he first read a paper authored by the physicist and he'd even had the chance to work with him before, locating the Tesseract when Loki stole it although it sadly wasn't in person. The Hulk's alter ego was too much of a liability on a billion dollar Helicarrier. Tony however had no such issues. He had enjoyed the easy banter with a mind equal to his own in a way that he hadn't been able to find in…..well ever! The idea of working together side by side in the flesh was exhilarating. Of course there would be a small chance of a very large very green visitor to Stark Tower but when had Tony Stark ever been known to play it safe?

Tony had already been in the lab for few hours when J.A.R.V.I.S. notified him that Dr. Banner had arrived.

"Send him up J."

The lab doors slid smoothly open and a rather rumpled yet strangely adorable looking scientist walked in, hands loosely clasped together, chocolate brown eyes drinking in the frankly astonishing array of top of the line lab equipment plus some that had to be straight from the mind of Tony himself as Bruce couldn't possibly begin to image what they for. Those liquid eyes finally found Tony and he gave him a small smile. Tony strode forwards offering out his hand.

"Dr Banner, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person" Bruce gave his hand a very solid and warm handshake.

"Bruce please, and thank you for the invitation." Bruce was certainly not what Tony was expecting. All accounts of the other man has led Tony to believe that Bruce was a quiet shy wallflower, a person easily overlooked who could blend into any background, Tony could only assume that it was skill that Bruce could turn on and off at will because the man standing in front of him had presence. Bruce tipped his head slightly arcing an eyebrow looking almost like he was assessing Tony. A look danced across his eyes flitting between surprised and amused.

"Problem?" Tony asked.

"No." replied Bruce. "You're just not quite what I envisioned" he said a small smile adding to the questioning look.

"That's me!" Tony quipped. "Larger than life and full of surprises!" He winked at Bruce "Follow me" he said as he spun on his heels. What the hell was wrong with him? He had just winked at an equal scientific mind! If he had been alone he would have physically face palmed himself. He must be getting lonely lately if having another scientist in his lab reduced him to winking! Gar!

"Tony led Bruce into the lab and waited for him to shuck on a lab coat before firing away information on the problem they would be collaborating on. The morning passed easily with banter flying back and forth and enough technical talk to keep even Tony happy. Bruce really was a genius and Tony revelled in that. He felt as though every word that came out of the physicist's mouth was dripping with gold. Tony couldn't get enough of it.

He sat frowning at the simulation running on his at his screen. He knew that this should work but it just wasn't.

"Hey Bruce, this just isn't working."

"Did you increase all the variables by .25 like we discussed?"

"Yeah but it makes it disastrously wrong. The simulation is a total failure not just an almost. The parameters seem way off." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Hang on I'll take a look." Bruce moved from behind the table he was working at to stand beside Tony.

"What's the issue?" he asked moving over to look at Tony's screen. Tony tried for the life of him to remember what he was trying to do, his brain had gone completely, exasperatingly blank. He flopped a hand vaguely towards the screen. Bruce leaned over to take a close look. Tony suddenly started feeling funny, he gripped his knees tightly with his hands, bracing his arms to support his upper body. He must be coming down ill. His head felt like it was filled with cotton wool, he was struggling to maintain a single straight line of thought. He'd broken out into a sweat. A sheen of moisture making him feel horribly damp. His chest felt like the arc reactor was at least two sizes too big and was restricting his lungs. Every nerve in his body was firing making him far too hypersensitive. He could feel the heat radiating from Bruce even though there was a good six inches of clearance between them. Bruce pulled back and went back to the table he was working on saying something that didn't make its way through Tony's addled brain. It took a few minutes of steady breathing for Tony to regain use of his senses. He knew the flu was going around the tower. Maybe he should have listened to Pepper and had a flu shot instead of shrugging her off because, well, he was Tony Stark. Bruce's voice finally managed to permeate through his skull dragging him back to moment.

"Tony are you ok? I can come back another day if you're not." Tony just nodded staying slumped forward, chin resting on his chest.

"Um, yeah….'m fine. Did you see what was wrong?" he asked. Bruce was quiet for a moment.

"Well if you're sure…You missed the decimal point on the third variable. The adjustment at that point was a hundred times stronger than it needed to be." Tony nodded and forced his blurred eyes to focus on the screen quickly finding and fixing the error. It was a grade school mistake, he should have spotted it. He berated himself for not having his head in the game. A sudden irrational fear struck him that Bruce would never come back to work with him again. He consciously squashed that random insecurity. God he hated being ill it always made him so needy. He squirmed uncomfortably, wriggling on his stool. He was still feeling unpleasantly moist from his earlier sudden sweating spell. His whole body felt damp and clammy. He tried to put it to one side of his mind and concentrate on the task at hand.

"A short time later Bruce asked Tony for a read out from his screen. Tony swivelled round to face Bruce and opened his mouth with the full intent of giving Bruce the answer until Bruce looked up. Tony locked eyes with Bruce, his mouth went dry, figures forgotten all he could do was stare, losing himself in the rich chocolate brown gaze. He felt as though he was drowning in those eyes, so warm so gentle. The air was fast running out of oxygen for his body to consume. His breathing unconsciously shallow and quickened. Bruce broke eye contact and looked down at the surface of his own table. He cleared his throat.

"Did the results give a reading yet?" He asked, careful to keep his eyes down looking anywhere but at Tony.

"Uh, er yeah." Tony swivelled back around to face his work station shaking his head feeling slightly stunned and not quite sure what was going off. He read out the results absently trying to focus his mind on anything but the clawing cramping sensation fighting to control his body…Anything to focus on…anything. He knew if he gave in to the illness the day at least would be lost. Of all the times to get flu why did it have to be today!

"He sat hunched in on himself unconsciously trembling and grinding his hips in small circles. Bruce looked at him out of the corner of his eye. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to do some deep breathing exercises he'd learned over in India. One breath and he knew it was a bad idea. He put his glasses back on and gripped the edge of the cold metal work surface trying to ground himself.

"Tony". Tony turned to look at him. Bruce was careful to keep his eyes down. "I'm sorry….I …..I, just can't. I need to leave. If you really want to continue I can…maybe from another lab…." His voice trailed off and there was a pause. Tony stayed silent watching Bruce, not quite understanding. Bruce was rigid, palms splayed on the worktop, fingers pressing so hard that the tips had gone white through lack of blood. His shoulders were square, strained and rigid and his face carried a pained expression. "Look, I have pretty good self-control skills but this, this is beyond even me" His voice broke slightly at the end of the sentence. Tony's cotton filled brain just couldn't grasp what Bruce meant, couldn't compute the variables that should have been right in front of him. He was too busy trying to stop his body shaking and sweating so he could get some damn work done. He was panting slightly as he managed to stammer.

"Wha, What….Why?"

"Jesus Tony I can taste you!" Bruce almost growled "Fuck, your heats come on fast!" He cursed. Tony was confused.

"What d'ya mean" he managed to ground out "M'Beta" but even as he tried to utter his cover story he felt the surge of lust claw deep in his belly. As his body was covered in a sheen of sweat the realization dawned that this jeans were drenched with his slick. He inhaled deeply to try and see what Bruce was so tormented by but he couldn't smell himself, instead he got a lungful of Bruce's deep woody, very Alpha, scent. His body shuddered with wanton need and he whimpered. The sound dragged Bruce's gaze to him, eyes roving over his sweat coated limbs, watching as he ground himself against the stool seeking the relief of any friction he could find. His cheeks were flushed pink broadcasting his arousal, his pupils blown wide with lust. Bruce cleared his throat, closing his eyes casting his face downwards, desperately trying to regain some control over himself.

"Tony, where's your Alpha? I'll go get them and they can help you." He risked a look at Tony who was gazing mesmerized at Bruce.

"Have…haven't got one." He managed to croak out. His deep caramel eyes fringed by those thick black lashes locked onto Bruce's. "Help me Bruce, for God's sake fuck me, I need this." He whimpered. He pulled his tank top over his head exposing his sweat covered chest. The blue glow of the arc reactor highlighting all of his hard ridges. Bruce groaned feeling himself slip yet knowing full well that he shouldn't. He couldn't understand how Tony was having such an effect on him. He'd been around Omega's in heat before and had always managed to keep his self-control. Hell Ross had used enough against him over the years, trying to lure him into a trap! Not one of them had ever affected him like this. He was battling a desire to take Tony like he'd never felt before. Not only to take him but to completely own him, to make him his Omega. He groaned a little at the sweet tempting sound of Tony's delicious whimpers. He stood trapped between his decisions. Too strong to give in yet too weak to walk out. The two halves of his brain waging war with each other. His logic side yelling that Tony couldn't help what he was doing, he was intoxicated by his very biology and wasn't in his right mind. Taking him now without his sober consent would be little more than rape, but the darker more dangerous Alpha side of him pointed out that it was exactly that biology that had made him an Alpha. It was his biological duty to stop an Omega from suffering like he was, especially an unpaired Omega! All these years nobody knew what Tony was yet Bruce had been able to smell his Omega scent the second that he had shook his hand.

"A noise just ahead made Bruce open his eyes. Any chance his logic side had ever had was driven forcibly away as a now nude Tony rounded the edge of Bruce's worktable, hands groping at him, pulling his shirt free of his waistband, hot greedy mouth licking and sucking at every inch of skin he revealed. Bruce moved quickly catching Tony's hands and moving away ever so slightly so Tony was no longer pressing against him.

"Tony are you absolutely sure? If I, if we cross this line I'm not going to be able to stop." Tony responded by twisting himself out of Bruce's grip and returning to his previous efforts muttering

"Yes, yes for God's sake yes" as he desperately tried to free Bruce from his belt. The scrape of Tony's fingernails through the hair that covered his sensitive belly under the waistband of his trousers was the thing that finally pushed Bruce over the edge. He swept the tabletop in front of him clear with one arm as he looped the other around Tony's waist, bodily heaving him him up onto the surface in one deft movement so he was sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. Bruce moved forward placing himself between Tony's knees, one arm still wrapped around his waist. He used his free hand to run his fingers along the side of Tony's beautiful, brilliant head, his fingers delicately tracing the arch of an eyebrow, his thumb working its way along the proud crest of his nose down to the soft sweep of those full sensual lips that Bruce was struggling to tear his eyes away from, down along the immaculately groomed facial hair, God was everything about this man perfect? Finally he moved his hand up twisting his fingers into the hair at the back of Tony's skull gaining the leverage he needed to turn Tony's face toward him. He lowered his own head and greedily claimed Tony's mouth with his own. Tony hummed happily for a second before parting his lips to allow Bruce to explore deeper. His hands roved all over Bruce's chest before his fingers finally found the buttons running down the front that were so cruelly denying him the glory of Bruce's bare skin. He worried each one until they finally yielded and granted him access to run his fingers through the think coat of hair covering the strongly muscled chest underneath. He dragged his finger nails against Bruce's overly sensitive lust heated skin before finding the almost hidden nubs of nipple and turning his attention on them.

Bruce released the pressure on Tony's mouth to groan with pleasure. The vibrations along Tony's lips and tongue caused his cock to twitch and a new flood of slick to drench his legs. Taking advantage of Bruce's momentary distraction Tony dove forward, breaking contact with Bruce's lips and moving to his throat, nipping and licking every inch of skin he had exposed as he worked his way down to Bruce's collarbone, his hands working to pull the remainder of Bruce's shirt from his pants and down off of his shoulders. Bruce released his grasp on Tony's waist to shrug off both his shirt and lab coat, carelessly abandoning them on the floor. His soft strong fingers making short work of the belt buckle that Tony had now turned his attention back to, allowing his pants and underwear to follow his shirt in their abandonment. Tony leaned back to take a long look at the gloriously naked spectacle standing in front of him. He eagerly moved forward to touch Bruce but Bruce caught his hands;

'No Tony, now it's my turn' His voice was rough with the depth of his arousal and had dropped at least two octaves. Tony could only gaze wordlessly into the depths of Bruce's eye's and wait for what was to come. Bruce took both of Tony's hands in one of his and laid him back on the tabletop, legs still dangling over the edge. His other hand ran a path over Tony chest that was swiftly followed by his mouth, nipping at the collarbone, tongue tracing patterns around Tony's very aroused nipples, kissing the sensitive skin around the arc reactor before moving lower. Tony whimpered and tried to release his hands so he could touch Bruce, he long to run his fingers through his hair, guiding his mouth with their firm grip but every time he tried Bruce would just smile wickedly and nip at another point of super heated skin giving him a sultry 'not just yet' look with his eyes. Finally after what felt like an eternity Bruce's hand wrapped itself around the base of Tony cock. Tony bucked his hips wantonly desperate for more. Bruce released his hands and in the same second, before Tony could do anything with his new found freedom he took Tony's entire length in his mouth. Tony's intake of breath was sharp and sudden, his hands scrambled against to smooth work surface seeking anything to grab, all thoughts driven from his mind only those of 'him' and 'heat' and 'pressure' were able to remain. Bruce's mouth continued working their magic as he watched Tony almost insensate writhing on the table. He took his free hand and slowly, gently started circling Tony's slick soaked entrance before slipping in first a finger then two gently working him open.

Tony's whole world exploded around him, he was nothing more than a mass of nerve endings surrounded by heat and light and a desperate need to _belong_ , his slick gushed out of him soaking Bruce's hand. Bruce couldn't take the delicious smell a second longer his pulled out his fingers and re-positioned himself between Tony's knees, scooping up both of Tony legs and resting his ankles on his shoulders leaving Tony completely exposed to him. Bruce couldn't ever remember seeing a more beautiful sight than the sweat shined, arousal flushed, panting sight that was Tony Stark offering himself up to him, and he knew at that moment that he was completely lost to this glorious man. He lined up the swollen head of his member at Tony's entrance before thrusting forwards and loosing his senses completely, biology taking over both of them as with thrusting and mewling and desperately grasping at each other they became one.

"The cooling air a short time later brought Bruce back to the here and now. His knot was still firmly embedded inside Tony who was laid under Bruce, a look of complete bliss on his sleeping face. Bruce gazed at the way his eyelashes fluttered slightly in his sleep. He wanted to make him more comfortable. He looked around the lab and saw a pull out sofa with blankets piled on the top, presumably where Tony slept when he didn't leave the lab. He scooped Tony up gently, made easier by the fact that Tony had his legs firmly wrapped around Bruce, and carried him over to the sofa using one hand to pull out the mechanism before lowering them both and tucking the blankets around them.

He looked down at Tony sleeping in his arms, pressing a soft kiss against his forehead. Bruce had no idea where this was going to go or how it could ever work he just knew that every fibre of his being belonged with this impossibly brilliant man and he would give his life to protect him.

Tony for the time in his life knew the word _happy_.


End file.
